Joey de Leon
Jose Maria Ramos de Leon, Jr. '''(born 14 October 1946), better known as '''Joey de Leon, is a Filipino television host, musician, comedian, actor, newspaper columnist, and disc jockey. Joey is one of the three pioneer hosts of Eat Bulaga! ''who still remains part of the show up to this day along with Tito Sotto and Vic Sotto. Together, Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey de Leon make up the iconic comic triumvirate known as TVJ. Among the TVJ, Joey is known for his wit, green jokes, and sarcasm. He is also one of the most prolific writers in the multimedia industry. He has penned a number of hit songs that many now consider as OPM classics, notably Cinderella's "Ang Boyfriend Kong Baduy" and VST and Co.'s "Ipagpatawad Mo" and "Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko". He also writes columns for The Philippine Star and formerly Manila Bulletin. His creative mind is able to coin words that stir funny thoughts, coming up with the titles of various segments of ''Eat Bulaga! ''as well the title of the noontime show itself, thus earning him the nickname "Henyo Master" of the Philippine entertainment industry.Vic Early life and education De Leon was the second child of Jose Seoane de Leon and Emma Manahan Ramos. His paternal grandfather was the first mayor of Malolos, Bulacan. Joey spent his early childhood in with his mother. His father, Jose Seoane de Leon (of Spanishdescent and birth), never lived with them. Instead, the elder de Leon sent financial support (through his pension as amember of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East that fought alongside the American & Filipino forces onthe islands during the Second World War) to Joey's mother so that his son would be able to attend school. When Joey was three, his father left for Madrid, Spain to attend to some family matters, but stayed there for good. "Nagkapamilya na rin siya doon, pero pabalik-balik siya dito sa Pilipinas," says Joey. "Okey naman sila ng nanay ko." Joey grew up mainly in a noisy neighborhood of G. Tuazon St., Sampaloc, Manila. He went to public schools and played with lower-middle-class kids. There was no denying that the fair-skinned and mestizo Joey stood out among his playmates. But rich his family wasn't. Prior to ''Eat Bulaga! From radio to television Prior to becoming a television entertainer, Joey de Leon started out his showbiz career in the 1960s as a radio disc jockey and announcer. He worked for twelve radio stations, including those that were owned by ABS-CBN and the Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS). Formation of TVJ His first big break on television was IBC-13's gag show OK Lang ''where he also met and developed a solid friendship with Tito Sotto and Vic Sotto. Therefore, the trio that will be later known as TVJ was beginning to take shape at this point. In the mid-1970s, Joey became a co-host of the Saturday early evening variety program ''Discorama. He invited his for brothers Tito, Vic, and Val Sotto, his former co-stars at OK Lang, to join him at Discorama. Only Tito and Vic accepted his invitation. Thanks to their Tough Hits segment, which spoofed current hit songs around that period, Tito, Vic, and Joey gained national prominence. Thus, the trio known as TVJ was born. With their newfound success, the trio was also invited as pinch-hitters in Student Canteen. Eventually, an offer came to them to host a new noontime show for RPN. After some negotiations, the trio accepted. Eat Bulaga! ''premiered on July 30, 1979. Along with Chiqui Hollman and Ritchie D'Horsie, TVJ became the pioneer hosts of the television program. Joey was 32 years old at the time of the show's premiere. As a lifelong Dabarkads, Joey remains loyal to ''Eat Bulaga! ''even though no contracts bind him to the noontime program and its production company since 1979. In fact, Joey has become one of the three pillars of the longest-running noontime program. Outside of ''Eat Bulaga!, he has also become a valuable personality in the overall Philippine entertainment industry for his contributions in the television, radio, music, and print media. Therefore, Joey de Leon was ultimately inducted into the Eastwood City Walk of Fame to honor his remarkable contributions with Tito Sotto and Vic Sotto. Category:Hosts Category:Pioneer Hosts Category:Dabarkads